Council and Upper Hutt whānau lend a hand in Hastings
Published on 10 March 2023
As part of our commitment to the recovery efforts from Cyclone Gabrielle, Council team member Eugene from our Roading Team, travelled to support one of the worst hit areas of Hastings.
For a week, Eugene with his whānau, friends, members of his church, a digger, shovels, and a Council ute loaded with supplies headed North to help.
They were assigned to Pakowhai and Waiohiki in Hastings. A region where water levels reached over five metres.
Eugene said the sight and smell hit the senses straight away, and what quickly followed was the overwhelming thought of “where do we start”?
“We had a dry first day, but the rest of the week the rain continued.
The majority of my time was spent in the mud and the rain – digging accessways, emptying flood damaged properties, collecting dead livestock and mucking in.
We were hosted by Waiohiki Marae and fed by the local Sikh community.
It was a privilege to have the opportunity to roll up my sleeves and represent Upper Hutt City Council as part of the national response.
We would regularly be cheered on from the locals saying ‘thank you Upper Hutt’.”